"Even Mushy When Pressed With a Fork": Family of Three Suffers Abdominal Pain and Diarrhea After Eating Chicken at Yeosu Island Expo, Another Food Safety Controversy Erupts

Only a Week After the Soy-marinated Crab Controversy,
No Penalties Imposed by Expo Organizers

At the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, a family experienced abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating undercooked seasoned fried chicken (Dakgangjeong) purchased at the event. This incident occurred just one week after organizers had pledged to improve food offerings, following criticisms regarding poor-quality soy-marinated crab set meals.

A family who purchased and ate Korean fried chicken from a food truck inside the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo venue complained of abdominal pain. Photo by Yeosu MBC

According to Yeosu MBC on the 30th, a man in his 40s, surnamed Bang, recently bought seasoned fried chicken for 12,000 won from a food truck inside the Yeosu World Island Expo grounds and shared it with his two elementary school-aged children.

However, it was reported that part of the seasoned fried chicken was not fully cooked. In publicly released photos, the inside of the chicken was vividly red and remained mushy even when pressed with a fork.

Bang and his children developed symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating the chicken. Bang said, "We suffered from severe diarrhea in the morning," adding, "My children didn’t realize it was raw chicken and ate it, saying it tasted good—can you imagine how angry I was?"

The business explained that proper cooking was not carried out due to temporary staff being assigned during the holiday period.

The business owner stated, "It seems the chicken was cooked while the oil temperature was too low," and added, "We will retrain staff and replace them with personnel who can properly handle cooking and communication." They also said they would proceed with compensation procedures for the affected family.

The food truck in question is currently closed temporarily. About 80 portions of undercooked seasoned fried chicken were reportedly sold on the day of the incident alone. With around 170 portions sold over the three-day holiday, concerns have been raised that there could be additional victims.

This controversy emerged only a week after the organizing committee for the expo had promised to improve the food available. Previously, there was widespread criticism over the quantity and composition of a soy-marinated crab set meal being insufficient for the price at the expo site.

The organizing committee’s response after the accident has also come under scrutiny. According to expo regulations, if a visitor suffers gastrointestinal issues after eating food sold by an on-site vendor, penalty points can be imposed to restrict operations. However, it was reported that the organizing committee did not impose any additional penalties on the vendor involved.

As criticism grew, the organizing committee belatedly announced comprehensive inspections of all food vendors. A committee official said, "After the soy-marinated crab controversy, some vendors have increased side dishes and portions, and some have developed new menu items," adding, "We will conduct ongoing training and thorough supervision regarding hygiene management, and ensure such incidents do not happen again through strict inspections and guidance."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.